MU police arrest student in Rolla after social media threats

Wednesday

University of Missouri police have arrested a suspect in connection with threats posted on Yik Yak and other social media services that caused widespread fear on campus Tuesday night.

MUPD Maj. Brian Weimer said in a news release Wednesday morning that police arrested Hunter M. Park, 19, at about 1:50 a.m. on suspicion of making a terroristic threat. MU police contacted Park, who is white, in Rolla and brought him to Columbia, where they arrested him.

Park is a student at Missouri University of Science and Technology, according to a news release from the university. No weapons were found during the investigation, the release said.

Boone County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Knight said in a news release Wednesday afternoon that Park was charged with making a Class C felony of making a terrorist threat, punishable by up to seven years in prison. He is jailed without bond. Park’s home is listed as Lake St. Louis, according to jail records.

Park was not on or near campus when the threats were made, MU spokesman Christian Basi said in a separate news release.

MUPD Maj. Brian Weimer was quoted in the release saying additional officers were on campus Tuesday night and that students were safe despite the threats. Several students called for the cancellation of Wednesday classes, but Basi said in the release that MU would operate on its normal schedule.

At least one of the threats targeted black students. Black students also were the target of threats posted on anonymous platforms Yik Yak and Erodr in December, when posters encouraged the burning of the Gaines Oldham Black Culture Center on campus after a demonstration against racial inequality.

Rumors of a Ku Klux Klan presence on campus ran rampant on social media Tuesday night. Several news outlets erroneously reported a KKK presence had been confirmed on campus, with some citing MSA President Payton Head as a source.

In a now-deleted Facebook post, Head said the KKK’s presence had been “confirmed” on campus and that he was “working with the MUPD, a state trooper and the National Guard.”

Head issued an apology for sharing misinformation, which he said came from “multiple incorrect sources.” The Missouri National Guard confirmed they had been contacted about the rumored KKK presence on campus Tuesday night, but an official — who declined to give his name — said they were “never working with anyone” to respond to the rumor.

“In a state of alarm, I was concerned for all students of the University of Missouri and wanted to ensure that everyone was safe,” Head wrote in a Facebook apology. “The last thing needed is to incite more fear in the hearts of our community.”

A separate threat forced the evacuation of the culture center Tuesday night while members of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus met with students, Rep. Brandon Ellington, D-Kansas City, said in a news release.

The caucus met with outgoing Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin and student members of the group Concerned Student 1950, which led protests against racial inequality for the past several weeks on campus.

In a message posted on MU Alert at 7:44 p.m. Tuesday, police said they were aware of social media threats and had increased security. A follow-up message at 10 p.m. simply said police were investigating the threats.

Weimer said the MU Police Department had additional officers patrolling campus and would continue to staff extra officers Wednesday.

Elizabeth Hurst, a freshman at MU, said she considered skipping class Wednesday because of the threats.

Barb Peterson, director of strategic communications with the College of Education, said attendance was abnormally low in classes Wednesday morning. She said undergraduate classes for the college had about a 30 percent attendance rate early Wednesday.

“As students receive the word that campus is safe, attendance should in theory increase throughout the day,” Peterson said.

This story was first published online on Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at 10:18 p.m. This version appeared online only.

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